[James's Pov]
"[Detonate]."
*BOOM!*
Pieces of flesh flew through the air as the giant, black snake in front of us exploded, unable to withstand the impact of our mist detonated inside of his stomach. Though it was massive, with its length being at least over ten feet, it was still just a [C]-rank monster, meaning it had no business trying to fight with us.
With both of my bodies, I kept walking forward through the Fallen Temple, knowing that I just had to get to the boss as soon as possible. At the same time, I did have a slight smile on my face behind our masks, happy to get some time to release a bit of our frustration.
*Glormp!*
A huge green slime appeared behind the corner of the corridor of stone, but I had no intention of standing around playing. Readying his scythe, sub-me lunged forward while spinning.
*Sching! BOM!*
Once again the air was filled with the waste of the monster we slew, green goo flying everywhere after sub-me sliced and shattered the small little black core in the middle of the poor slime.
"Hmm... That's kind of disgusting, isn't it?"
"True. But in the game, you got HP back after eating it... Should we try it?"
"I would say go ahead, but as I would still be able to feel and taste it, I would rather we didn't."
Taking the chance to talk with myself a bit, as I hadn't had a chance during my time being bedridden as Zero, it was a good chance to structure my thoughts a bit.
"So, the war between the royal house and the hidden families has already started. I wonder if the king expected them to be so open with their approach?"
"We don't believe he did, do we? If so, he wouldn't risk the safety of Sarah. He most likely naively sat on his throne, thinking they would have no choice but to run like mice. If only he knew that mice also bit back if pressured enough."
'[Detonate]'
*BOM! Splatter*
Another slime lost its life as we continued to walk through the cramped corridor, with the only light being the ever-burning torches on the walls. Just like at Theia's temple, the walls also had images displaying the history of human society, showing historic wars and priests praying to higher beings.
"What's our next move then?"
"We need to make sure we get a clearer picture of how the nations are developing their military power. Even if we know that it will take a long time before the demons make a move, we have no idea if it's the same for Mensch. That being said, I think we can assume that they will have to finish their own business first."
"Hmm... Then, what do we do about Zero?"
"That's..."
All four of my feet stopped as I asked myself the question I didn't want to answer, but which I needed to have already created my convictions about.
"Zero will die. The best thing we can do for him is to make sure he dies to fulfill a purpose. Let's just see it as a fair trade."
"Then, we are going with his idea? To try and make as few people as possible die? But... shouldn't we try and see if Dr. Smith finds a solution first?"
"Haa... Since when was I this naïve, hoping for something like that? Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to be able to keep him as a tool for as long as possible. He can at least act as the chain that binds the hero to us."
Then, we arrived in front of a huge wooden door, a door that was the final destination of our little vacation. Behind this door, the boss monster of the dungeon should be waiting for us, and if the game was correct, that monster was the key to getting the artifact we were here for.
"Anyway, we still have time. We just have to be ready to get rid of the youth inside of us as soon as he becomes a real liability. In the end, he isn't real. Zero doesn't exist. That's why we chose that name for him."
"Then, why are we going to try his approach first? I know we aren't going to out of our way to kill innocent people, but we have already resolves ourselves to find another way, haven't we?"
That, I didn't have a clear answer to. So instead, I stopped talking to myself and prepared myself to bring down another huge reptile.
****
[Sarah's Pov]
Sitting on my bed, I was currently talking with my father about the current situation, his face weary with worry and stress.
"I already told you, father, I'm fine, thanks to Zero and Arthur. I didn't even get a scratch."
"-I just wanted to make sure..."
"You've been making sure every day for three days now. I am fine."
"-Haa... Alright. Just know that.."
"Father!"
"-Ah, fine, alright. I'm sorry. It's just that thinking about you getting hurt, about losing you... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I allowed that to happen."
It was the same kind of conversation that we had had every day now, with me trying my best to convince him that I was okay.
"-Anyway, I want you to know beforehand that I and the principal have decided together that the best course of action is for all the students at Ainu to stay at the academy at all times."
"So, it's a kind of curfew? Are you sure about this? Won't the noble houses make a ruckus about this?"
Shaking his head, the king explained, "It doesn't matter if they do. Though I haven't told you, we have strong allies now, Sarah. There's no need to be afraid of what the noble houses might do."
'Strong allies?'
A small wave of worry washed over me as I began thinking about what kind of allies we could have made that somehow made the noble houses negligible. However, at the same time, I knew that my already weary mind wouldn't be able to take anymore right now, so I made a conscious choice to ignore it.
After meeting up with my friends again... No, after making up with my friends again, I felt like I could treat myself to pretend to be a normal student for a while at least. Even if just for a bit.
"That's good..."
Noticing that something was wrong, as he so often did, my father's face mellowed out a bit. Still, he was also aware of what kind of situation he himself had put me in, so thankfully he didn't press it further.
"-Yes... It's good. So don't be scared, lovely daughter of mine. Your father will fix this, just like I always do. I love you, Sarah. See you soon."
"I love you too..."
*Beep, beep, beep.*
'Like you always do?'
I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the one thing that he hadn't 'fixed', the thing he was solely responsible for, even if it was in the name of our country. A part of me would never forgive him for that, even if I knew it had been the right thing to do.
That was the selfish part of me that I had repressed, the part that I had locked shut for a long time. The part that a certain white-haired youth had helped me unlock by convincing me to face my demons.
Falling backward onto my bed, a slight smile emerged on my face as I thought about the future now. How silly it was, that just a week ago I wanted to just give up on everything and now I didn't.
That just the small feeling of knowing that I had people around me was enough to give me the strength to go forward.
"That Zero... maybe he can really do it..."
Unity through compassion. Redemption by caring, and loving each other. Creating a future where everyone is equal.
It was such a foreign concept to me, who had learned from a young age that everyone was always out to get everyone and that the best way to defend oneself was to make sure to be on the side of our people.
Not that I wasn't ready to give everything for our citizens, but coming to the academy in itself had given me a very different perspective. Here I met people who just wanted to live their lives to the fullest, who supported each other and gave each other strength.
Then, a memory of me and a certain man with boyish charms drinking coffee in the café played before me.
'-James...'
'-Yeah?'
'-Are you sure about not wanting to join the royal house? You know, I only said it half as a joke. So... the offer still stands.'
'-Haha... Thank you for the offer, but I must decline once again.'
'-But why? If you joined the guard, your future would be set. You wouldn't have to worry about anything again.'
'-That sure sounds nice, doesn't it? Still, I'm...'
'-You're?'
'-Nevermind. Haha, let's just say I don't think I'm quite fit for the job.'
Remembering the sad light shining in James's eyes, I couldn't stop myself from thinking.
'Did James ever have someone who truly supported him?'